Our guest post comes from Kaitlyn Joseph who is Director of Puppy Raising for Pawsitive Service Dog Solutions. Kaitlyn has raised 15 Guide Dog Puppies and was a Guide Dog Puppy Club leader for five years. She has also volunteered for Dogs4Diabetics. She is majoring in Psychology. In her spare time, Kaitlyn has also shown dogs in AKC Obedience and Dock Diving.

Almost everyone knows what a therapy dog is. They visit people in hospitals; care homes; schools, and other places to provide emotional support. What a lot of people don’t know, is that these dogs are still considered pets under the ADA Laws (Americans with Disabilities Act).

While it is very fun to take your dogs everywhere you go, you are not only breaking the law, but sabotaging it for those who truly need their dog with them to save their life. Claiming a dog as a service dog when you aren’t disabled or the dog isn’t trained can cost you future benefits, such as social security even when you would normally qualify (ie when you retire). In some states, it is also a criminal offense that can result in fines over $50,000 and/or jail time.

“Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability.”

“Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.”

Therefore, therapy dogs do not have public access rights. Therapy dogs would fall under this category because their sole function is to provide comfort and support. Another type of dog that would fall under this category is a “Companion Dog,” because they are not trained to do a specific task. Essentially they are glorified pets that people are passing off as service dogs.

The ADA Laws meant to protect people with legit service dogs has made it harder for business owners to identify who has a well trained service dog and who is trying to sneak their dog in as a companion animal. According to the ADA, “When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.”

This is a constant and very recent issue. Everyday there are people walking or carrying their dogs in stores claiming it to be a Service Dog. The general public as well as business owners need to be educated on what is legitimate and what is clearly not a service dog.

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Depending on your mode of travel, you may want to keep these items in your car, RV, backpack or even in your dog’s service vest or pack.

Here are some items to take on the road in case of emergency:

• Plenty of extra food and water for your dog
• Blanket
• Extra leash, collar in case of breakage or loss
• Photo copy of all vaccination records, health records, microchip or license numbers, tags and ID information
• Emergency phone numbers of family, neighbors, friends, your veterinarian
• Plastic bags, ties, paper towels and wet wipes for clean up
• Several recent photographs of your dog
• First Aid Kit
• Any medications your dog takes regularly or occasionally
• Portable or collapsible bowl

Plan ahead for the unexpected. Your canine companion will thank you and travels will be easier, safer and more enjoyable for everyone.

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First you must be willing to care for and be financially prepared to maintain a service dog. This includes, grooming, veterinary care, feeding, exercise, and attention. It is a 24/7 commitment and a long term relationship and responsibility. Time and energy must be invested in order to form and maintain a healthy working relationship with a service dog.

Consideration must be made about how the dog will impact your daily routines, if your home can accommodate the animal, other pets or children in the home, how much free time you have for play and maintenance of the dog, how your transportation needs will fit in with the dog, other family members’ support, employer acceptance of the idea, where the dog toilets if you live in a small dwelling or have no yard, and numerous other concerns and questions.

Once you determine that you are ready for the addition of a service dog in your life, it is time to apply to organizations that train and place a service dog. Every organization has different criteria and a different application process.

Most organizations will require proof of disability from a medical professional or health care provider. Some organizations have age limits. Many organizations will require a personal interview either by phone or one on one. More often than not, there is a written application which will commonly ask for the size of your home and yard and may even ask for photographs. Some organizations will require travel to and from the facility for training purposes and/or annual re-certification.

Some eligibility factors may include age, financial resources, mobility, type of disability, location, pets, etc.

If you are not eligible under the requirements for some organizations you may still be eligible for other programs and organizations so allow plenty of time for research and the lengthy application process.

A service dog is not for everyone but it can be a blessing beyond imagination when the right dog and organization is partnered with the right individual. Do your homework, and persevere.

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Knowing these commands can be helpful for those who train their own service dogs as well as for those who are utilizing a trainer or a service dog organization to obtain a service dog.

Here are some, but not all of the most common service dog commands used by a service dog handler.

Dog’s Name-used to get the dog’s attention and to command the dog to come.

Heel-used to have the dog walk on a loose leash at the side (most commonly the left side)

Sit-tells the dog to sit.

Down-tells the dog to lie down and this should not be confused with “off” which is generally used to tell the dog to get off of a person or a piece of furniture, etc.

Come-instructs the dog to come to the caller but not in any specific position.

Stay-asks the dog to stay in a “sit” or “down” position, most commonly.

No-directs the dog to stop doing a certain behavior he/she is doing.

Wait-tells the dog to wait for food, a command or to wait to cross a barrier or threshold or to wait to exit a vehicle.

Crate or Kennel-instructs a dog to go into his/her crate or kennel, usually for bedtime or a quiet period.

Under-directs a dog to go under a table, counter, desk or space to lie down, as in a restaurant or office.

Leave it-tells a dog to cease giving attention to a person, thing, object, or tempting food or garbage.

Drop it-tells a dog to drop an object in its mouth.

Give-directs a dog to release an object held in its mouth.

Off-instructs a dog to get off of a person or thing.

Quiet-commands a dog to cease making noise, whining, or barking.

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A new site called Dog Vacay, will help you find a local home for your dog while you’re away. Pet owners who take their dogs along on trips can even utilize this service to find sitters or host homes in cities they visit. This offers a great alternative if your hotel doesn’t accept pets, or if you don’t want to leave your dog in the hotel room all day.

Dog Vacay enables qualified hosts and dog lovers to care for local dogs in their area while their owners are away. Dog owners can rest assured knowing they have placed their dogs in great hands and not in traditional kennel cages.

Dog Vacay is helping thousands of dogs find their own vacations while their families travel. Dog Vacay gives people an alternative to caged kennel boarding by matching dogs with awesome professional hosts who open their hearts and homes where Fido will feel warm and comfy.  The online community that’s free to use, matches dog owners in need of pet-care services like walking, training, and day care with amazing qualified animal caregivers, all a cost of half the average kennel stay, that will keep all tails wagging.

Pets can “vacation” conveniently in the capable hands of hosts at a nearby home with a big backyard for a husky, or a one-bedroom apartment for a Chihuahua. This allows owners the freedom to enjoy a guilt-free vacation knowing their best friends are being well cared for and not missing their usual comforts of home.

Finally Dog owners can experience the peace of mind that comes with pre-qualified hosts, daily photo updates, 24/7 support, and vet care because the Dog Vacay Concierge can even set up massages and other goodies as well as insurance coverage. A dog’s life isn’t so ruff!

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photo courtesy of Wendy Drinkwater

Our guest post comes from Wendy Drinkwater, a mother of two boys, one with Autism and one with PDD-NOS. Wendy was born in Kansas and raised in San Diego and Northern Virginia.  She currently resides in Oakland, Maine with her husband Tom, her two sons Aiden and Cedric, her mother Lisa and their herd of five indoor cats and three Labrador Retrievers.  

Training your furry friend can be exciting and fun.  The hardest part is choosing a method of training and how to implement it.  In this article I’ll give you the definition, explain the steps and present videos on “Clicker” training.

Clicker – a small mechanical device or noise producing object that makes a short “click” sound used for positive reinforcement of a specific wanted behavior.

Clicker training is tricky because many misunderstand how to use it.  There are some who think that you have to click on the command and on the reward and you have to always use treats (food). This is false and I will try my best to explain simply how to “clicker” train your dog.

The “click” from the clicker is only used as a reward. Your timing is everything. The “click” tells the dog he/she performed the wanted behavior.  When you first introduce the clicker you have to “charge” or “load” the clicker.  That means that after you click you must reward your dog with a treat.  Once the “click” has been conditioned to be reinforcing by associating the audible noise with a tasty treat, the treats are faded.  The “click” becomes the reward and then teaching the commands and tricks are easy!  You will most likely always need to charge the clicker from time to time to maintain its potency.  You don’t have to always use treats. You can use a favorite toy or the environment as the reward. Down below are 2 videos I have selected that explain “clicker” training:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wv1uvvqaSw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC367wKGi4M

Good Luck and Happy Clicking!

~ Wendy

You can checkout Wendy and “The Service Pups” videos on YouTube: www.youtube.com/patienceburns

Also stop by Loula & Bear “The Service Pups” Facebook and see what we have been up to lately!

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Not many decades ago, Seeing Eye Dogs or Guide Dogs were the most prevalent assistance dogs encountered in our country. Now with service dog task training expanding to serve the needs of so many other types of challenges, dogs are being utilized for that and so much more.

In very recent years Autism Service Dogs, particularly for children, are growing in popularity as the rate of Autism is escalating to an alarming rate of about 1 in 88 individuals. This does not even touch on the countless other disabilities being served by assistance dogs now: diabetic alert dogs, gluten sniffing dogs, seizure alert dogs, and dogs who assist with hearing loss, spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, PTSD, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, hypoglycemia, spina bifida, arthritis, cardiopulmonary disease, and bipolar disorder. The list goes on and on.

Dog has been man’s best friend since the beginning of time but it is miraculous what a well trained service dog can do to improve the life of someone with a disability. There is no end to what they can do to improve the quality of one’s life when an individual faces challenges in mobility, safety, security, sight, hearing, and other limitations.

Service dogs, or assistance dogs help people with various disabilities. It’s the dog’s job, their pleasure, their dedication, and quite simply, it is their life.

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Shedding is often a problem in the Spring as dogs blow their winter coats in preparation for summer. A good brushing and de-shedding tool is probably all that’s necessary and remember to do it outside so that the gentle Spring breeze blows away the mess outside.

A fresh new smell is always inviting in the Spring so don’t forget to wash your dog’s bedding. If urine or other odors are present, a good enzyme based cleaner is just what you need to get back that fresh and clean smell for the new season.

De-germ while you are at it. Don’t forget to wash and sterilize dog bowls and toys that may have been overlooked all Winter.

And don’t miss the car. Many service dogs spend a great deal of time in vehicles so a good thorough deep cleaning for the vehicle is probably long over due. Vacuuming, and fur removal are a good place to start. But don’t forget window smudges from doggy noses and muddy paw prints. Glass cleaner is obvious but again, a good enzyme based cleaner may be necessary and a lint roller or masking tape for fur removal can be helpful too.

It’s almost time for Summer fun with your canine so let’s get ready with Spring cleaning.

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Everywhere he goes he is winning hearts already and we hope you will follow his training and adventures.

Kaden is a stocky and fluffy little boy with heart-melting, big puppy dog eyes. Two of our Puppy Raisers, Kaitlyn and Marria, named him last week and we love their choice.  The name they picked, Kaden, means “companion” and he will certainly bless some person one day with his companionship as a wonderful, highly-trained service dog to an individual with a disability.

We will be adding weekly pictures and information, as he progresses through his training, on our “Kaden, Service Dog in Training” page. So don’t forget to check in frequently to watch this little precious pup as he matures into the very special service dog we know he will become in about a year. He’s growing fast so don’t miss a week!

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Lovely Kimber is being raised by Kaitlyn, an experienced and dedicated veteran service dog raiser who has raised numerous Guide Dogs and who also has her very own service dog Gatsby. Kaitlyn is even starting our Puppy Raising Club in Sacramento. She is wonderful and we are very blessed to have her on our team.

Kimber’s mom and dad have a history of service work and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree as Kimber is sweet, mild mannered, and eager to please. Good looks and brains really do go together with this girl.

The K’s have it. Kaitlyn and her veteran puppy raiser friend Marria have decided to keep the “K names” going as they just named our newest yellow service pup in training, Kaden. In coming weeks you can follow Kaden’s fun and antics here also.

But in the meantime, Kimber and her buddy Gatsby will be enjoying lots of adventures and outings with Kaitlyn over the coming months so be sure to check in and watch as this lovely little girl becomes a refined working dog.

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